Help fill food baskets for local families this Thanksgiving


Helping Hands volunteer Sandy Amick helps a client register for a Thanksgiving basket. The non-profit agency expects to distribute more than 200 food baskets so that families in need have a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

(Rockwall) November 3, 2012 – Helping residents that need it is what Rockwall County Helping Hands does. It is a 36-year tradition that has benefited thousands of families in this community.

This holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving, provides the opportunity for you to share your good fortunes and join Helping Hands in experiencing the joy of sharing with families facing difficult times. It is a way for businesses to be a part of the Rockwall community in a meaningful way and for civic and faith groups to use their core missions to help others.

More than 200 families throughout the county will receive baskets of food from Helping Hands so they can celebrate a day of Thanksgiving. From turkeys to dressing and canned cranberry sauce, the baskets will hold all the fixin’s to celebrate the day our country sets aside to showcase the many things for which we are grateful – from family and good health to football and the feast on the table.

Families such as Leticia’s: She, her husband and their five children are facing hard times right now. Leticia contributes to their income by cleaning homes. Complications this fall with a pregnancy caused her to miss days of work and needed income at a time when her husband’s landscaping work is slow.

Then there is Terry and Kimberley. The couple lives on Terry’s retirement and Kimberley’s disability benefits – generally making ends meet. They only recently turned to Helping Hands for assistance and were happy to learn they could apply for a Thanksgiving food basket.

Or Jack and his wife that recently moved to Rockwall to be near family. Both are disabled and live on social security benefits. With unexpected moving expenses, they found it necessary to apply for groceries from the Helping Hands Food Pantry – and were grateful to know they qualified for a Thanksgiving food basket.

Please make a donation today to Helping Hands so we can provide Thanksgiving food baskets to families in crisis and help them find the good in difficult circumstances they face. Your generosity will help them rejoice in what they have because, as we all know – when times are really tough, we sometimes forget how much we still have.

“It’s amazing how giving the Rockwall community is,” said Margo Nielsen, Helping Hands Executive Director. “Our residents are faithful and reliable partners in helping us reach out to our families in need. In these difficult times, we pull together – and that’s a great feeling.”

At Helping Hands we believe that one way to give thanks is to give back. Please help us help those without funds to spare on a Thanksgiving meal.

We all wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and we hope you will take the opportunity to give thanks by giving back – you will always get back more than you give.

Needed for Thanksgiving Food Baskets 

Turkeys
Dressing/Stuffing Mix
Canned Cranberry Sauce
Canned Yams/Canned SweetPotatoes
Fresh Fruit
Rice
Flour
White Cake Mix & Frosting

Hams
Boxed Instant Potatoes
Canned Pumpkin
Canned Fruit
Soup: Cream of Mushroom or Chicken
Cooking Oil
Sugar

Except for fresh fruit, please deliver items to Helping Hands at 950 Williams by Tuesday, November 13, if possible.  Please deliver fruit by Friday, November 16.

Submitted by Judy Evans.

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